Piano action



May 2, 1939. G B Z 2,156,963

PIANO ACTION Original Filed July 28, 1936 a; E wi W Patented May 2, 1939UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PIANO ACTION William G. Betz, La Porte, Ind.

3 Claims.

My invention relates in general to piano actions, and in particular toan action for a small upright piano standing substantially as high asthe ordinary grand piano, but having a keyboard at the usual height.This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No.93,040 filed July 28, 1936, and relates to my copending application,Serial No. 38,823, filed April 24, 1937.

The small upright piano standing in general no higher than the top ofthe usual grand piano, has become popular because of the smaller spacethat it occupies, in contrast to the old type upright, and because of amore decorative and pleasing appearance than the old style. Thekeyboard, of course, is maintained at substantially the standard heightfrom the fioor and with the top of the piano standing no higher than theusual grand piano, a large part of the upright action is below thekeyboard line. This type of piano has introduced new problems in actionconstruction as well as the mounting of the action.

In the actions now employed in this type of piano, a somewhatcomplicated action is utilized with multi-piece abstract mechanismlinking the remainder of the action to the key, and with an expensivemounting construction. In providing a multi-piece abstract, thepossibility of friction between various members is increased, and inactions employed at the present time the capstan on each individual keyof the keyboard does not strike the main member of the abstract directlybut strikes one of the numerous pieces employed to connect the abstractinto the piano action. One result of this is that the force exerted bythe key is divided between the abstract and the support member. With theobjectionable friction and this indirect contact between the key and theabstract, sensitivity and efiiciency of the piano action have beenmaterially reduced. Furthermore, mounting the actions now employed is adifficult problem, and the abstract mounting interferes with removal orassembly of the keys. These factors result in a costly assemblyoperation for the entire piano.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved piano actiondesigned primarily for a small upright piano.

A further object is to provide a simplified and inexpensive action forsuch a piano structure.

A still further object is to provide an action for a small upright pianowith relatively few parts, so as to simplify assembly of the action andreduce friction in the same, particularly between the hammer operatingmechanism and the key.

Another object is to provide a simplified action for a low upright pianowhich will eificiently transmit the movement of a key to strike a piano5 string corresponding to such key.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from thefollowing description, taken with the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my piano action, and

Fig. 2 is a detailed plan view along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

In practicing my invention, I provide an action for a piano fortransmitting movement of the keys for such piano in the playing thereof.The action is employed primarily for use with a low upright piano and issecured to a mounting bracket which may be supported in a suitablemanner in the piano. The action includes an abstract with a button-likehead for separable connection with a corresponding key, a substantiallyL-shaped pivot member pivotally secured to a whip for such action, and aconnecting wire extending from the button-like head and secured in acavity in one of the legs of the L-shaped pivot member. Playing movementof a key on the piano lifts the abstract at the head to in turn lift thewhip and in turn pivot a hammer to strike the usual string for thepiano.

Substantially only the moving parts of the action have been illustratedand it is understood that any suitable mounting bracket may be employedto mount the action in a piano. The action is illustrated as supportedprincipally on a 135 rail [0 to which is secured a flange ll pivotallysupporting a whip l2 which in turn pivotally supports a jack 13. Thejack i3 is in engagement in the usual manner with a hammer M at the butt16 for such hammer, and as the whip I2 is raised, this motion istransmitted through the jack to pivot the hammer into strikingengagement with the corresponding piano string.

In order to keep the small upright piano as low as possible, it has beennecessary to drop the major portion of the movable parts of a pianoaction for such small upright piano below the keyboard rather than havesuch action stand above the keyboard as has been the usual practice formany years. Furthermore, inasmuch as 50 one of the most importantadvantages of the small upright piano is its low cost, satisfactoryplaying conditions must be provided in a simple, inexpensive action.This has been accomplished in the present action by providing anabstract 55 for connecting a key I? with the pivoted whip l2 to transmitthe movement of such key to the whip, which abstract includes abutton-like head structure it resting in a corresponding cavity !9 atthe rear end of the key. The head portion 53 of the abstract isthreadably secured on an elongated lifter rod 2! which may be providedin a suitable wire and such head portion comprises in detail a pin 22resting directly on a felt pad 23 in the cavity 59 while an internallythreaded Wooden nut 24, padded at the bottom with felt 26, is screweddown onto the pin 22 and acts to adjust the vertical position of thelifter rod 2| with reference to the key ii.

In order to faithfully and efficiently transmit the movement of the keyN to the hammer l 4, the lifter rod 2| of the abstract is pivotallyconnected with the whip l2 through a substantially L-shaped pivot member2?. One leg 28 of the pivot member is provided with a transverselyextending pivot pin 29 extending through a corresponding aperture at theend of the whip and the other leg 3! of the pivot member is providedwith a cavity 32 therein for receiving the lower end of the lifter rod2!. With this construction, a rigid connection is provided intermediatethe abstract and the whip l2 so that there is no flexing between theWhip and the lifter rod 2 l. Flexing between these two members wouldchange the transmission of the key movement to the hammer for eachperson playing the piano and having a different touch. As a result, itwould be substantially impossible to originally provide the properadjustment for all types of playing touch and substantially impos sibleto maintain any reasonable satisfactory adjustment during the life ofthe piano. Furthermore, flexing between these members would seriouslyinterfere with the repetitive movement in the action and hence affectthe playing qualities of the piano.

As is evident from Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the abstract isdisconnected from the key I! by elevating the same at the head to liftthe pin 22 out of the cavity i9 after which the lifter rod ii may bemoved rearwardly out of the slot 33 in the end of the key. A suitablymounted guard rail 3 may be provided to prevent the abstract fromfalling away from the action when the abstract head is disconnected fromthe key I'!.

It is thus seen that I provide a simplified action which will transmitmotion from a key to a corresponding hammer in a piano with maximumefiiciency. The complete action assembly including a plurality ofactions corresponding to the single action illustrated herein may bequickly mounted in the piano and no part of the action obstructs theinsertion or removal of the keys.

The disclosures of this application are illustrative and the inventionis not to be limited by them. In fact, if modifications or improvementsare not at once obvious, they may be devised in the course of time tomake additional use of the broad ideas taught and covered by thisapplication. The claims are intended to point out novel features and notto limit the invention except as may be required by prior art.

I claim:

1. An abstract for a piano action comprising a head, a rigidsubstantially L-shaped pivot member including a pivot portion and'amounting portion with the latter extending upwardly from one end of thepivot portion and having a cavity therein for receiving a connectingmember, a connecting member secured in the cavity and extending from themounting portion of said pivot member to said head and secured in thelatter to connect said head and said pivot member together into a singleunit.

2. In an action for a piano having a plurality of keys, a plurality ofpivoted whips and an abstract corresponding to each key for connectingeach key with a corresponding whip, said abstract having a substantiallyL-shaped mounting portion for pivotal connection with said Whip at oneleg of said substantially L-shaped mounting portion, with the other legof said substantially L-shaped mounting portion having a cavity thereinextending downwardly from the top thereof, a connecting rod secured inthe cavity in said mounting portion and extending upwardly therefrom tothe rear end of the key, and a button-like head on the top of said rodin operative engagement with the top of the key at the rear end thereoffor striking engagement by the key, with the two legs of saidsubstantially L-shaped mounting portion being entirely rigid withrespect to one another so that the relative position between such twolegs will not change upon movement of the abstract in transmittingmotion from said key to said whip.

3. A piano action including in combination a pivoted Whip, a hammeroperatively connected with said Whip and means for moving said whip toin turn move said hammer, said means including an abstract having anelongated wire portion extending intermediate said whip and a piano keycorresponding to said whip, means for pivotally connecting said Wireportion to said whip at one end thereof, said pivotal connecting meanscomprising a rigid member having a pivot portion at one end,transversely extending means connecting said whip and said pivot portionto permit pivotal movement of the rigid member with respect to the Whip,said rigid member having a cavity in the other end for receiving andsupporting therein one end of said wire portion, and a button-like headon the top of said wire portion for operative connection with a pianokey, with said rigid member maintaining a non-flexible but pivotalconnection intermediate said Wire portion and said Whip to preventdistortion in the abstract at said pivotal connecting means when theabstract is transmitting motion from a piano key to the whip formovement of the hammer.

WILLIAM G. BE'IZ.

